Empire of the Ring

Youngho, who had arrived in Stockholm yesterday, was waiting for Eriksson at the cafe they promised to meet.

The streets that they could see through large glass windows was gloomy due to the terrorism with the seasonal factors of winter combined. There were not many people on the streets. Although it was partly because of the cold, Youngho could not believe that it was just a week before Christmas.

As he was looking outside emptily, he spotted Eriksson walking toward the building in a hurry.

“You’re always first to come and make me look like a lazy person.”

“I used to be in the Navy, so I have an obsession to be at the destination 15 minutes in advance whenever I have an appointment. Whether it’s a warship or a merchant ship, everything has to be ready to go 15 minutes before departure.”

“It must have been a short military life, but it’s interesting that the habit you picked up in the Navy lasts pretty long.”

“I only remember that the military life was very strict, but I guess it’s still embedded in me. Korea is still in a truce, so we don’t know when the war will break out. Many people didn’t want to go to serve in the military back then, but nowadays young people tend to volunteer to serve.”

“Then, the patriotism of young Korean people is great.”

“I don’t think that’s the case. You know joining the military is a way to run away from the harsh reality for some people. When they can’t find a job after graduating from college, the military is right there for you. My heart is always heavy when I hear the grim news of my home country.”

“The same goes for young people in Europe. There’s no place to lean on, many are snooping around the world under the pretext of going on backpacking. But, they can’t even do that freely nowadays. It’s a hard situation that we live in now.”

“How’s Sweden?”

“People here are living as if they have nothing to do with the chaos of the world. People are complaining that they can’t even shop at ease during the Christmas season. Maybe they’re extremely selfish.”

“It may be because they’re not afraid of karma.”

“What? Karma?”

“It’s thanks to their ancestors who rejected to make colonies that even Belgium had. The current terrorist attacks maybe because of the seed that was sown by the European powers in the past.”

“You’re talking about cause and effect.”

“The Europeans shook the world throughout history.”

“Then I can’t be free since I have Europeans as my ancestors.”

“So give a warm hand for the survival of the powerless Arirang Autonomous State, then you can be excused.”

“Hahaha…”

Youngho’s visit to Sweden was at the request of Eriksson.

Once the selling of the factories of Nikolay in the southern Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk was completed, Youngho refused to receive brokerage commission. He was only trying to help Nikolay, and he did not want to be greedy anymore because he already received two tons of gold bars from Nikolay.

Another reason was that now Youngho’s status had changed from a mere businessman to the Duke of Arirang, and he wanted something more than a mere broker to the Information Agency. Eriksson asked me to meet because he knew exactly what might Youngho was planning when he boldly gave up the commission.

“Why are you refusing the commission that you deserve?”

“I wasn’t doing it to make money. I only wanted to help my friend. I also have to think about my position. I’m not a mere individual businessman anymore, so I decided not to accept it.”

“Then we should treat you differently from now on, Mr. Lee. You want a full-fledged business with us.”

“I like how it’s so easy to talk to a smart person like you.”

“Our main business is to buy and sell information, but sometimes we invest in someone we can trust.”

“I’d like to get an investment and buy your information too.”

“Mr. Lee, as far as information goes, you might be much faster than we are.”

“That can be true, but I find it hard to predict the future of Kazakhstan and the Arirang state.”

“Do you want me to predict the future with tarot cards for you? I think that’s the only way to know the future of an individual or the fate of a country.”

“I have a hunch that your company’s intelligence and power could tell me the future of Kazakhstan.”

“It looks like it’s going to cost a lot between the two sides.”

“I’m willing to pay for it at any rate.”

***

Youngho wondered if he had ever been searched so carefully in his whole life.

Although he had assumed that the Information Agency’s headquarters would be in Stockholm, Sweden, he had no idea it would be in the middle of a huge coniferous forest. The building simply looked like a picturesque castle which seemed like a castle from fairy tales came alive.

It was quite unexpected for the headquarters of the intelligence community that handled the information of the world.

Eriksson kept Youngho waiting for a full day and then came to the hotel where Youngho stayed. He told him to come and meet Basten at the headquarters and asked to excuse him for covering his eyes for security as they were about to leave.

At the entrance of the old castle in the woods, Youngho was thoroughly examined for about 20 minutes by the guards. They even checked Youngho’s eyes. Youngho joked that he would take off all of his clothes. Then, they said that Youngho was the first foreigner to visit this place, so they were being cautious.

Youngho thought that he would be meeting Basten at a public café or in a hotel bar, but he received an unexpected invitation from the agency.

“Duke, we’ve made you go through too much of a hassle.”

“I didn’t expect it to be this difficult to meet you, Mr. Basten. It must have been a big honor to have met you in Denmark previously.”

“Well, I guess today’s big security show worked since you are seeing me that way.”

“What?”

“Hahaha… I’m kidding. You’re the first person to visit our company, so the staff must have been a little flustered.”

He was saying that, but the staff’s search did not make a single error. It seemed that they had done a lot of searches like this.

Maybe it was all a lie that Youngho was the first outsider to visit the place.

“This is a great honor for me.”

“I’ve been watching the search process, and you didn’t seem to be agitated at all.”

“Why should I be agitated when visiting my friend’s house?”

“Certainly! I envy your boldness. I think it was a good idea to invite you here today after all.”

“Then I’ll take it as a sign that I passed the test.”

“You’re indeed a man with a strong heart.”

“I’m just bluffing.”

“Hahaha…”

“Well, thank you for inviting me here.”

“It’s a great honor for me to have you. Thank you for traveling far in this cold weather.”

The conversation itself felt like the Morse code. Youngho was extra nervous as to think through every word that was spoken out of Basten’s mouth. As such, today’s meeting was important. His visit to the secret headquarters was a significant step forward.

“What did Eriksson say that you’re revealing your secret headquarters to me?”

“Didn’t you come knowing it already?”

“I had a mere guess.”

“Oh, I’m sure you have a solid idea.”

“Well, I guess I have an animal-like sense.”

“How do you see us with your animal-like sense?”

“I even thought your organization could eat away my power and group if I didn’t grow enough strength.”

“Well, you obviously have power that we don’t know about. That’s why I brought you here.”

“I only have a little better stamina than others.”

“Why do I feel like you have hidden power somewhere. I just can’t put my finger on it though. I was curious about that. I think it’s appropriate to describe it that you’re full of energy.”

Basten’s words surprised Youngho because the power of the ring could not be revealed to the outside world. Although Basten could not tell what it was, he was the only one who sensed it.

“It’s great to have power, either as an individual or as a country. In our world, power has been justice since the beginning.”

“I’ve come to ask if you could share some of that power with me.”

“We’re still building it. There are some helpers, but they’re not enough. It would be an honor if the Duke of the Arirang state joined us, too.”

“Now that I’m here, I’m sure I’ll have to get my feet wet. I don’t think I’ll be able to go home if I don’t.”

“No, if you don’t like this place, feel free to leave. We trust you more than anyone else. Even if you do, our partnership will remain the same.”

***

“Are you satisfied with your state, Duke?”

“Well, I have no answer to that yet.”

“Don’t you dream of something bigger?”

“I have a desire to have a land that’s about a few times as big as what I have now. My ambition made me turn to Siberia.”

“You said you’re worried about the future of Kazakhstan and the autonomous state.”

“You’re right. The world is so complicated now.”

“Then why don’t you run Kazakhstan?”

“…”

“I understand that President Nazarbayev is leaning heavily on you. I’m sure he thinks you’re his successor. I bet you also have this in mind.”

“Oh, that’s nonsense. He just thinks of me as his grandchild.”

“Who do you think will take his spot when he left? Do you think the future of the state will be guaranteed if someone else takes his position?”

Youngho had nothing to say back to Basten because it was also Youngho’s concern.

This was why Youngho built a medical school, a general hospital and attracted foreign investors. He wanted to plant a good image of the autonomous state to the public of Kazakhstan. That was not enough, so he was struggling to take Kazakhstan’s military to the next level. However, if this series of efforts were denied by someone, then Kazakhstan would be split because Youngho would not just sit back and watch it happen.

“If a man like you will run Kazakhstan, we will be your ally. No, I’ll take the lead to make that happen.”

“I’ve never thought of that before.”

“This is just around the corner. If you don’t prepare now, you’ll regret it soon. Will you let Kazakhstan get sabotaged by Russia and China? If the day comes, you have no choice but to give up the state and leave. Is that really okay?”

“If anyone touches Kazakhstan, the leaders of Russia and China won’t be able to sleep peacefully since I’ll avenge Kazakhstan.”

“Indeed! I can tell that you have an invisible power, seeing how confident you are.”

“Well, I wouldn’t just give it all up, would you?”

“We’re trying to prevent that kind of thing from happening. It’s going to be a win-win.”

“So, what are you getting out of this?”

“As much as I helped, you’d be helping me, too.”

“You don’t mean to share Kazakhstan. What do you have in mind?”

“I have no desire to run a country. I’m just going to remain a merchant.”

“Are you interested in the underground resources of Kazakhstan?”

“Yes, but you don’t have to be burdened. We’ll pay the right price for the trade.”

“That’s something I can help you with if you asked me.”

“If we start now, our trade will expire in a few years, but if you run the country, it will be valid for decades.”

This meant that Basten would dig up every nook and cranny of Kazakhstan’s resources. However, it would not be wise for Kazakhstan to distribute all of its resources to a foreign company.

“I don’t know about running Kazakhstan, but the country will have to leave something for the future generations to use.”

“You speak like you’re already running Kazakhstan.”

“Do you think the exclusive position of developing underground resources will be maintained for a long time? What if I change my mind when I’m in the position of power?”

“I only believe in your promises, but I’m not worried about the future. At that time, you may be an empire that you dare not imagine. We might be hoping to just earn your favor to survive.”

“Well, that is flattering to hear.”

“That’s the sweetness of power. A lot of people jump in like a fire moth towards the top, but very few are successful. The difference between someone who’s been preparing for a long time and someone who’s jumped out of the blue is huge.”

“If I make up my mind, would you be my helper?”